Joe Ghanem
Joe Ghanem | |
|---|---|
| Born | May 8, 1990 Falougha, Lebanon |
| Occupation | Motorsport competitor |
| Known for | First Lebanese driver to achieve a podium finish in a European single-seater competition; 2010-2011 UAE GT Championship (GTC category) champion |
Joe Ghanem (born May 8, 1990, in Falougha, Lebanon) is a Lebanese motorsport competitor and the son of Samir Ghanem, who was a Lebanese Rally Champion during the 1980s.
Ghanem holds the distinction of being the first Lebanese driver to achieve a podium finish in a European single-seater competition, securing second place in the 2009 Cooper Tires British Formula 3 International Series - National Class while racing for Carlin Motorsport. Furthermore, he became the inaugural Lebanese champion in GT racing by winning the 2010-2011 UAE GT Championship (GTC category).
Beyond circuit competitions, Ghanem has also earned several podiums in various local and regional rally contests.
Karting
Currently serving as a performance coach for the BRN Racing Karting Team, Joe Ghanem began his motorsport journey in karting, clinching the Lebanese Junior Championship Formula A title in 2004.
Formula Racing
Ghanem initiated his formula racing endeavors in 2006, finishing third overall in the Bahrain-based Thunder Arabia Middle Eastern Series, where he achieved one pole position and six podium finishes. In 2007, under the A1 Team Lebanon Driver Development Program, he participated in eight races across both the Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 and the Formula Renault 2.0 UK Winter Series with Carlin Motorsport. After a hiatus due to funding issues in 2008, he returned in 2009 to compete in the last two rounds of the British Formula Three – National Class, attaining three podiums in four outings.
In 2011, Ghanem showcased dominance in the UAE-based Formula Gulf 1000, amassing eight victories, five pole positions, twelve podiums, and two fastest laps. He also competed in the 2012 and 2013 Formula Renault BARC Championship with Mtech Lite, achieving his best result of third place at Croft.
GT Racing
Entering the Middle Eastern GT racing scene in 2010, Ghanem raced for Gulf Sport Racing in the UAE GT Championship – GTC Class behind the wheel of a Ginetta G50, securing the championship title with one victory, one pole position, and five podium finishes. The following year, he continued his winning streak by capturing the Trofeo Maserati – Middle East title with six wins, seven poles, and eight podiums. Additionally, he took part in the opening round of the Trofeo Maserati – European Series, where he earned pole position, fastest lap honors, and podium placements across all three races.
Rallying and Hill Climb
In 2008, Ghanem triumphed in his category (Group N) at Syria’s 9th International Hill Climb Event. His rally achievements include finishing third overall at Lebanon’s 19th Rally of Cedars in 2010, fifth place at Jordan’s second National Rally that same year, and third place at Jordan’s inaugural National Rally event.
Racing career summary
| Season | Series | Team Name | Races | Wins | Poles | F/Laps | Podiums | Points | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | Thunder Arabia Middle Eastern Series | Thunder Arabia | 14 | 0 | 1 | – | 6 | 153 | 3rd |
| 2007 | Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 | Carlin Motorsport | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – |
| Formula Renault 2.0 UK - Winter Series | Carlin Motorsport | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | |
| 2009 | British Formula Three - National Class | Carlin Motorsport | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 39 | 5th |
| 2010–11 | UAE GT Championship - GTC Class | Gulf Sport Racing | 8 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 50 | 1st |
| 2011–12 | Trofeo Maserati - Middle East | Leisure Racing | 12 | 6 | 7 | 0 | 8 | 214 | 1st |
| Formula Gulf 1000 | Orient Racing | 14 | 8 | 5 | 2 | 12 | 100 | 1st | |
| 2012 | getextbf{Trofeo Maserati} - European Series | getextbf{Leisure Racing} | getextbf{3} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{1} | getextbf{1} | getextbf{3} | getextbf{43} | getextbf{16th} |
| getextbf{Formula Renault 2.0 BARC Championship} | getextbf{Mtech Lite} | getextbf{11} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{36} | getextbf{23rd} | |
| getextbf{Formula Renault 2.0 BARC Winter Series} | getextbf{Mtech Lite} | getextbf{4} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{30} | getextbf{13th} | |
| 2013 | getextbf{Formula Renault 2.0 UK Championship} | getextbf{Mtech Lite} | getextbf{14} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{0} | getextbf{1} | getextbf{166} | getextbf{7th} |
Complete Eurocup Formula Renault 2.0 results
(legend) (Races shown in bold represent pole positions; races in italics denote fastest laps)
| Year | Team | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | Final Position | Points Scored |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | Carlin Motorsport | ZOL Race 1 27 |
ZOL Race 2 30 |
NÜR Race 1 26 |
NÜR Race 2 24 |
HUN Race 1 22 |
HUN Race 2 Retired |
DON Race 1 Retired |
DON Race 2 22 |
42nd | 0 |
References
External links
- Pages with script errors
- Articles with short description
- Articles with hCards
- No local image but image on Wikidata
- 1990 births
- Living people
- Carlin racing drivers
- Formula Renault Eurocup drivers
- Formula Renault BARC drivers
- British Formula Three Championship drivers
- British Formula Renault 2.0 drivers
- Lebanese racing drivers